1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to subsurface well equipment and, more particularly, to a thru-tubing sand control method and apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is well known to those engaged in the exploration of oil and gas that certain subterranean hydrocarbon-producing formations have sand commingled with the hydrocarbons. For various reasons, which are well-known in the art, it is not desirable to produce the commingled sand to the earth""s surface along with the hydrocarbons. As such, the industry developed sand-control completions that, in broad terms, include an upper and an optional lower, or sump, packer with various mechanisms disposed therebetween, including a closing sleeve and a sand screen. The upper packer, such as a seal bore retrievable packer, is initially connected to a service string, and the entire sand-control completion is lowered into the well on the service string until the sand screen is positioned adjacent the hydrocarbon-producing formation. If the well is cased, then the sand screen will be positioned adjacent perforations in the casing. A service tool in the service string is used to perform various functions and operations with regard to the sand-control completion, including washing down the well bore as the string is run into the well bore, setting the packers, displacing fluids in the annulus above the upper packer, squeezing fluids into the production annulus and into the formation (e.g., through the casing perforations), packing gravel into the annulus between the sand screen and the formation, circulating fluids into the production annulus, and reverse-circulating fluids out of the service tool and service string. After all necessary operations have been carried out, and the sand-control completion is ready to produce the hydrocarbons to the earth""s surface, the service string and tool are disconnected from the upper packer and removed from the well. A production tubing is then lowered into the well and connected to the upper packer, at which time production operations may commence. All of these functions and operations are known to those skilled in the art of sand-control and gravel pack completions.
It is also well known to those engaged in the exploration of oil and gas that there has been a move towards xe2x80x9csmartxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cintelligentxe2x80x9d well completions in which various mechanisms (e.g., temperature sensors, pressure sensors, flow-control devices, etc.) are attached to the completion and to one or more control cables or conduits (e.g., electrical, hydraulic, fiber optic, etc.) running to the earth""s surface. The sensors transmit downhole well data to the earth""s surface via the cables, or the flow-control devices may be remotely controlled from the earth""s surface to control downhole fluid flow. A problem has developed, however, in applying this xe2x80x9csmartxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cintelligentxe2x80x9d concept to sand-control completions. Specifically, since sand-control completions have traditionally been run into the well on a service string, which is then removed and replaced with the production tubing, as explained above, it is not possible to have a continuous run of control cable to the earth""s surface (or to some connection point above the upper packer) from a sensor, flow-control device, etc. located below the upper packer. As such, if the traditional sand-control completion process is employed, there would be a section of control cable running from the sensor in the sand-control completion to the upper packer, and then another section of control cable running from the upper packer to the earth""s surface (or to some connection point above the upper packer). This latter section of control cable would be part of the production tubing that is stabbed into the upper packer after removal of the service string. This would require that a xe2x80x9cwetxe2x80x9d connection be made at the upper packer between the two sections of control cable. For reliability reasons, it is preferred to avoid the use of xe2x80x9cwetxe2x80x9d connections, and, instead, run a continuous section of control cable from the various monitoring and fluid-control devices to the earth""s surface (or other connection point above the upper packer). To achieve this goal, the completion hardware for sand control and all other completion hardware and tubing from the upper packer to the top of the well bore must be inserted into the well in one run. The present invention has been contemplated to meet this need while at the same time providing the completion with all the necessary pumping operations and hardware placement for sand control.
In a broad aspect, the invention may be a well completion comprising: a production tubing; an upper packer connected to a lower end of the production tubing; an intelligent device disposed below the upper packer; a continuous control cable running from the intelligent device to a connection point; and a sand screen disposed below the packer. Another feature of the present invention is that the completion may further include a first closing sleeve disposed between the upper packer and the production tubing and remotely movable between an open position and a closed position. Another feature of the present invention is that the completion may further include at least one of a first polished bore receptacle disposed above the first closing sleeve and a second polished bore receptacle disposed between the first closing sleeve and the upper packer. Another feature of the present invention is that the completion may further include a second closing sleeve disposed between the upper packer and the sand screen and remotely movable between an open position and a closed position. Another feature of the present invention is that the control cable is sealably disposed through a port in the upper packer. Another feature of the present invention is that the completion may further include a washpipe movable from a first position to a second position, the washpipe restricting fluid flow through the sand screen when in the first position and permitting fluid flow through the sand screen when in the second position. Another feature of the present invention is that the completion may further include an upper washpipe nipple having an upper latching profile and a lower washpipe nipple having a lower latching profile, and wherein the washpipe includes a latching mechanism releasably engageable with the nipple profiles, the mechanism being engaged with the lower profile when in the first position and with the upper profile when in the second position. Another feature of the present invention is that the washpipe includes a gripping profile releasably engageable with a gripping mechanism on a service tool that is deployed through the production tubing. Another feature of the present invention is that the intelligent device is disposed in one of a first and a second position, the first position being between the packer and the sand screen, and the second position being below the sand screen. Another feature of the present invention is that the intelligent device may be disposed within the sand screen. Another feature of the present invention is that the intelligent device is one of a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, a flow-control device, a flow rate measurement device, an oil/water/gas ratio measurement devices, a scale detector, and a sand detection device. Another feature of the present invention is that the control cable includes at least one of an electrical cable, a fiber optic cable and a hydraulic control line. Another feature of the present invention is that the upper packer is a multiport packer and adapted to sealably pass at least one cable in the control cable therethrough. Another feature of the present invention is that the completion may further include a safety shear sub shearably disposed between the upper packer and the sand screen. Another feature of the present invention is that the completion may further include a lower packer disposed below the sand screen. Another feature of the present invention is that the completion may further include a valve-shifting collar disposed below the upper packer and above the sand screen, and adapted to shift a ball valve in a through-tubing service tool between open and closed positions. Another feature of the present invention is that the completion may further include a service tool disposed for longitudinal movement through the production tubing and adapted to perform sand-control operations in the completion. Another feature of the present invention is that the service tool includes a shifting profile releasably engageable with at least one of a shifting profile on a first closing sleeve disposed above the upper packer, a shifting profile on a second closing sleeve disposed below the upper packer, and a valve-shifting collar disposed below the upper packer. Another feature of the present invention is that the service tool includes a crossover housing having a packer-setting port adapted to direct pressurized fluid to hydraulically set the upper packer.
In another aspect, the invention may be a method of installing a sand-control completion, comprising: assembling the sand-control completion, the completion including a production tubing, an upper packer connected to a lower end of the production tubing, an intelligent device disposed below the packer, a continuous control cable running from the intelligent device to a connection point above the upper packer, and a sand screen disposed below the upper packer; and running the completion into a well and setting it in the well with the sand screen disposed adjacent a hydrocarbon-producing formation in a single trip. Another feature of the present invention is that the method further includes a washpipe disposed within the completion to restrict fluid flow through the sand screen, the method further including washing the well as the completion is being run into the well. Another feature of the present invention is that the method may further include running a service tool through the production tubing to perform at least one sand-control operation in the completion. Another feature of the present invention is that the method may further include running a service tool through the production tubing to shift a washpipe in the completion from a first position to a second position, the washpipe restricting fluid flow through the sand screen when in the first position and allowing fluid flow through the sand screen when in the second position. Another feature of the present invention is that the method may farther include running a service tool through the production tubing to direct pressurized fluid to the upper packer to remotely control the upper packer. Another feature of the present invention is that the method may further include running a service tool through the production tubing to direct fluid to a well annulus below the upper packer, and squeezing fluid into a hydrocarbon-producing formation disposed adjacent the sand screen. Another feature of the present invention is that the method may further include stroking the service tool to a circulating position, and circulating fluid from the production tubing into the annulus below the packer, through the sand screen, into a longitudinal bore of the service tool, through a crossover housing in the service tool, and upwardly to the earth""s surface. Another feature of the present invention is that the fluid is directed from a crossover housing in the service tool to the earth""s surface through the annulus above the upper packer. Another feature of the present invention is that the fluid is directed from a crossover housing in the service tool to the earth""s surface through the production tubing. Another feature of the present invention is that the method may further include stroking the service tool to shift a ball valve therein from an open position to a closed position, raising the service tool, and circulating fluid from the earth""s surface through a crossover housing in the service tool, into the production tubing, and upwardly to the earth""s surface. Another feature of the present invention is that the method may further include engaging the service tool with a washpipe disposed in the completion and removing the service tool and washpipe from the completion.
In another aspect, the invention may be a washpipe assembly for use in a sand-control completion having a sand screen disposed below an upper packer, the washpipe assembly comprising: a washpipe having an upper end and a lower end, the washpipe being remotely shiftable from a first position to a second position, the washpipe restricting fluid flow through the sand screen when in the first position and permitting fluid flow through the sand screen when in the second position, and the washpipe being in the first position and releasably connected to the sand-control completion when the sand-control completion is being run in to a well. Another feature of the present invention is that the assembly may further include a lower annular seal disposed adjacent the lower end of the washpipe; and an upper annular seal disposed adjacent the upper end of the washpipe, the upper end of the washpipe being sealably disposed above the sand screen and the lower end of the washpipe being sealably disposed below the sand screen when the washpipe is in the first position. Another feature of the present invention is that the completion may further include an upper washpipe nipple having an upper latching profile and a lower washpipe nipple having a lower latching profile, and wherein the washpipe includes a latching mechanism releasably engageable with the nipple profiles, the mechanism being engaged with the lower profile when in the first position and with the upper profile when in the second position. Another feature of the present invention is that the latching mechanism is a collet. Another feature of the present invention is that the washpipe further includes a gripping profile releasably engageable with a gripping mechanism on a service tool that is deployed through a production tubing.
In another aspect, the invention may be a well completion comprising: a production tubing; an upper packer connected to a lower end of the production tubing; a sand screen disposed below the packer; and a through-tubing service string and tool adapted to be deployed through the production tubing for performing sand-control operations within the completion. Another feature of the present invention is that the completion may further include at least one of (1) a flowpath above the upper packer through an inner annulus formed between the service string and the production tubing and (2) a flowpath above the upper packer through a well annulus formed between the production tubing and a well bore. Another feature of the present invention is that the service tool includes a shifting profile releasably engageable with at least one of a shifting profile on a first closing sleeve disposed above the upper packer, a shifting profile on a second closing sleeve disposed below the upper packer, and a valve-shifting collar disposed below the upper packer. Another feature of the present invention is that the service tool includes a port adapted to direct pressurized fluid to hydraulically set the upper packer. Another feature of the present invention is that the completion may further include an intelligent device disposed below the upper packer; and a continuous control cable running from the intelligent device through a port in the upper packer to a connection point. Another feature of the present invention is that the completion may further include a washpipe movable from a first position to a second position, the washpipe restricting fluid flow through the sand screen when in the first position and permitting fluid flow through the sand screen when in the second position. Another feature of the present invention is that the completion may further include an upper washpipe nipple having an upper latching profile and a lower washpipe nipple having a lower latching profile, and wherein the washpipe includes a latching mechanism releasably engageable with the nipple profiles, the mechanism being engaged with the lower profile when in the first position and with the upper profile when in the second position. Another feature of the present invention is that the washpipe includes a gripping profile releasably engageable with a gripping mechanism on a service tool that is deployed through the production tubing.